The Met's unofficial mascot—this tiny hippo named William—has a bit of a dark side

"A lot of us are inclined to only see his cute side, but in fact there is a lot more to him than that."

"A lot of us are inclined to only see his cute side, but in fact there is a lot more to him than that."

Curator Isabel Stünkel on an Egyptian statuette of a hippopotamus (popularly called "William").

Explore this object:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544227

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world.

Photography by Mark Morosse

Subscribe for new content from The Met: https://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum?sub_confirmation=1

#TheMet #ArtExplained #Art


Contributors

Isabel Stünkel
Curator, Department of Egyptian Art

Photo image of The Great Hall of the Met, with hanging calligraphy paintings
Explore how the Taiwanese artist’s Great Hall Commission invites a transhistorical conversation about the art of writing
Lesley Ma
February 28
Wood scene showing a commotion of figures and animals in distress
Video
Listen to an optical poem illustrating W. H. Auden’s recitation of “Woods” with artworks from The Met collection, juxtaposed with footage of wildlife in Kingston, New York.
February 21
The people standing together in a gallery with hard hanging from the wall, facing them.
Video

Join Alison Hokanson, Curator in the Department of European Paintings, and Joanna Sheers Seidenstein, Assistant Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints, along with Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, to virtually explore Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature.

February 20
More in:Art ExplainedNature

A slider containing 1 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Hippopotamus ("William"), Faience
ca. 1961–1878 B.C.